Old Martin tuba Eb/F?

Tigertuba · Post by **Tigertuba** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 11:11 am

I was sitting in my room last night looking at my old Martin tuba that I thought was Eb and noticed that the main tuning slide has a removable extension section that is 7in long (14total). It plays in Eb with the section in would it play in F with it out? I'm in the market for an F tuba but this would get me by for a while if it plays in F.

jlbreyer · Post by **jlbreyer** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 11:20 am

I'd take the empirical route --

Take the extention out and play it with F fingerings against a tuner. Find out what notes center on the open bugle.

just my 2 cents

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 11:28 am

You'd be close but still pretty flat. The difference between an Eb and an F is about 19 inches.

JB · Post by JB » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:09 pm

Chuck(G) wrote:You'd be close but still pretty flat. The difference between an Eb and an F is about 19 inches.

Maybe you'd be further ahead trying to make a tuba in E! (If nothing else, it would be somewhat unique.)

punktuba · Post by **punktuba** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:40 pm

Dont you love the sound of those old Martin tubas?

If you do and you want a great MARTIN F tuba, I have one that I am considering selling. It dates from 1922 and is a Dillon cut Eb to F w/five valves, and USN engraved in the bell along with all of the other fancy engraving. it has a 17in bell, also. I love the sound of those old Martin tubas! The low register on this horn is particularly good. If any of you are seriously interested let me know.

Thanks

Andrew Welborn

Lew · Post by **Lew** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 5:34 pm

I would wager that it's a high pitch/low pitch conversion slide in Eb. It works the same way as the tuning donut that many old York tubas had. Before the pitch was standardized on the current A=440, there were a few different pitch standards, with the most prevalent being a low pitch, that was about A=432, and high pitch with A=452, at least that seems to be where they are based on the 19th century instruments I have owned or played. I have yet to find a definitive source to quantify exactly what 19th century high and low pitch standards meant.